Top Ten Tuesday- Bookish Hangover Edition

Hello everyone and welcome back to another Top Ten Tuesday. Today’s prompt is: the last books that gave us a bookish hangover. We tried to pick books we haven’t talked about much on the blog yet so hopefully we expand your TBRs a little more today.

Haley’s Picks

1- This Darkness Mine by Mindy McGinnis

I actually probably could have put any Mindy McGinnis book on this list and it would still be just as true. However, I picked This Darkness Mine because I have never read the last few chapters of another book with my mouth hanging open from shock. This book went in a crazy, dark and violent direction. I still think about it and how horrifyingly fascinating it was.

2- Damsel by Elana K. Arnold

I actually had no idea this one was so controversial until I started seeing it talked about in other groups since Red Hood releases next week. I understand why people hate this book. Arnold isn’t shy or subtle in her social commentary packaged as a fairytale retelling. But I love this book largely because it is so controversial and visceral in it’s delivery. I think that was the authors intention and she was definitely successful!

3- The Arrangement by Robyn Harding

My first Robyn Harding book, The Arrangement follows a struggling college student in New York who signs up to essentially become an escort to wealthy businessmen. When things become more serious then she ever intended with one of her clients and things end disastrously with fatal consequences.

4- Dry by Neal and Jarrod Shusterman

Never have I had such a physical reaction a book before or since reading Dry. The premise in a nutshell is that a handful of teens must survive when all the water in California runs dry and no one can find a quick or easy fix the descriptions of scenes, of people fighting over a half drank water bottle or one of the character’s struggle to explain to her dog that there just isn’t any water. It was all so heartbreaking but powerful and important. I’ve heard that we can anticipate another novel as a sort of follow up so I can’t wait for that! (Emily’s note — I WAS SO THIRSTY READING THIS BOOK!)

5- Wicked River by Jenny Milchman

Okay. I felt like all my books dealt with important issues in some form and I wanted to include a book that was just for fun. When two newlyweds decides that their honeymoon will consist of an extensive backpacking trips in the woods they never anticipated all that would go wrong and that what have been one of happiest trips of their lives would soon become their worst nightmare. Intense and suspenseful this book was a fast paced, wild ride from page 1. Definitely perfect for anyone looking for a good popcorn read.

Emily’s Picks

1- The Lions of al-Rassan by Guy Gavriel Kay

This book is epic fantasy meets historical fiction and I love it so dang much. The place names have been changed, but this is medieval Spain by another name, and Kay does such a gorgeous job of world building that you feel like you are there. I fell for the characters and the world, and although this isn’t high fantasy, there’s just enough magic there to make you aware that you’re not really in this world anymore. It’s the only book I’ve ever finished and then immediately reopened to start it again. I love this book so dang much and it was a hard act to follow.

2- Godsgrave by Jay Kristoff

Ok, as much as I love Godsgrave, and as much as it definitely did throw me into a book hangover, this is actually here representing a category of books. Whenever I read the second book in a series — especially a fantasy series — and the third one isn’t out yet (Darkdawn wasn’t released when I read this one), it throws me into a huge hangover because I’m not ready to leave the world of the books. I sometimes end up re-reading favorite parts or even entire books just because there’s not a new book for me to read and I just need to stay in the world!

3- This is How it Always Is by Laurie Frankel

Hard hitting contemporary books that address social issues often put me in a hangover just because I’m left with so many thoughts swirling around my head when they are over. This is a great example of that. I loved this book so much and I wasn’t ready to leave this family when it was over. I wanted to read more and make sure everyone would be ok and nothing quite lived up to the writing or the heartbreak that it inspired in me. I couldn’t pick up a new book for weeks after this one!

4- A Woman is No Man by Etaf Rum

It’s been at least a month since we talked about this book, so surely it’s ok to bring it up again, right? This is another hard hitting contemporary social-issue novel that really left me reeling. I loved this book so much, I started pushing it on anyone who would listen and sought out an in person book club just to discuss it. It was amazing, but left me unable to pick up anything else for a long time just because it so fully captured my heart and mind.

5- The Nightingale by Kristen Hannah

This historical fiction set in World War II broke me into a million pieces and I still haven’t recovered. I felt like I was right there spying along with our main characters. It still sticks in my mind as my favorite historical fiction of all time. It took me a long time to pick up any other World War II book because nothing could possibly live up.

what about you?

Have you read any of these and did they leave you reeling? Do you get thrown into book hangovers often or is it a rare thing? We can’t wait to discuss it with you in the comments!